Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died Sunday morning at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California, after a 911 call reported a possible overdose, and those close to him say he had been struggling for weeks.

Santa Monica police officers responded to the facility around 9:35 a.m. after receiving the overdose report. Paramedics pronounced Gerber dead at 9:45 a.m., roughly ten minutes after officers arrived. Dispatch audio obtained by Page Six revealed Gerber was in cardiac arrest when first responders reached him.

Investigators do not suspect foul play. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has deferred the official cause and manner of death, stating that "additional testing and/or studies were requested in order to make a determination." Fox News reported that those results could take months.

Gerber checked himself in over the weekend, and friends say he 'didn't seem like himself'

Gerber entered the Santa Monica rehab facility over the weekend, just days before his death. An unnamed source told Page Six that the young model "had not been doing well" and was "struggling with a lot of things," including addiction. He checked in, the source said, "because he knew he needed help."

In recent weeks, those around Gerber noticed something was wrong. The source described him as seeming "a little off" and said he "didn't seem like himself." The week before his death, Gerber spent significant time with his family, particularly his father, hospitality entrepreneur Rande Gerber.

The family has asked for space. A representative for the Gerber-Crawford family released a brief statement:

"The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."

The Santa Monica Police Department confirmed it is leading the investigation into Gerber's death as a suspected overdose. The department said the official cause and manner of death would be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. No specific substances have been publicly identified in connection with the case.

A history of addiction stretching back to his teenage years

Gerber's struggles with substance abuse were not new. In December 2018, at age 19, he was arrested for driving under the influence. He had previously spoken publicly about abusing alcohol, opioids, painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, benzodiazepines like Xanax, and dissociative anesthetics like ketamine.

An unnamed source pointed to the environment in which Gerber grew up. Malibu, where the Gerber family is based, was described as a place where drugs and alcohol are readily accessible. That context does not excuse anything, but it frames the challenge Gerber faced, a young man from a famous family, surrounded by wealth and access, fighting a battle that wealth alone cannot win.

Celebrity families are far from immune to the kind of private pain that addiction inflicts. In recent months, other high-profile deaths have reminded the public how suddenly life can end, regardless of fame or fortune.

Gerber's last public-facing moment came on August 5, when he uploaded a nine-slide photo carousel to Instagram. The images showed him smiling, striking various poses in a garden. Nothing in the post hinted at what was to come.

Josie Canseco's tribute hints at a long, visible decline

Model Josie Canseco, a close friend of Gerber's, posted a tribute to her Instagram Stories that carried a pointed edge. She wrote:

"Love you Pres. Doesn't feel real.. you deserved better than this, I'm so sorry it all got to this point.. we'll miss you forever."

The phrase "got to this point" suggests those in Gerber's circle watched his decline over time. Canseco's words did not assign blame, but they carried the weight of someone who saw trouble building and could not stop it.

Sudden deaths, whether from overdose, medical emergency, or other causes, have a way of forcing public reckoning with private failures. The death of a federal attorney in San Diego earlier this year carried a similar shock, reminding Americans that crisis does not discriminate by status or profession.

Gerber's death at 27 places him at the same age that has claimed a grim roster of musicians and performers over the decades. But the specific facts here, the rehab check-in, the overdose call, the cardiac arrest, the long history of substance abuse, point to something less mythological and more plainly tragic: a young man who sought help and ran out of time.

Questions the Medical Examiner still has to answer

Several key details remain unknown. The name of the Santa Monica facility where Gerber died has not been publicly released. No specific substance has been identified in connection with the suspected overdose. And the Medical Examiner's additional testing could take months to complete, meaning the official cause of death may not be confirmed until well into the winter.

It is also unclear whether Gerber had been formally admitted to the facility's treatment program or was still in an intake or evaluation phase when he died. That distinction matters, it speaks to how much clinical supervision he was receiving at the time.

Celebrity crises play out under a spotlight that ordinary families never face. The personal struggles of public figures make headlines, but the underlying problems, addiction, mental health breakdowns, systems that fail people in their most vulnerable moments, are not unique to the famous.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operates a national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for anyone struggling with addiction or mental health crises.

Presley Gerber knew he needed help. He walked into a facility to get it. He deserved to walk back out.